If you have sleep apnea and need surgery, the main step is to make sure your anesthesia plan is led by an anesthesiologist before, during, and after surgery. Sleep apnea can make anesthesia riskier because it can slow breathing, make you more sensitive to anesthesia, and make it harder to wake up and take a breath after surgery. It can also raise the chance of complications during surgery.

Before surgery, tell your team if you know or think you have sleep apnea. If you snore, wake often at night, move a lot in sleep, or feel tired during the day, mention that too. If you use PAP therapy, which is a machine that helps keep your airway open, continue using it during sleep in the hospital before and after surgery. If you have your own PAP equipment, facilities may ask you to bring it.

Your team may also choose closer monitoring after surgery and may use certain anesthesia medicines or regional anesthesia, which numbs one area, to lower risk. Verify the exact plan with your surgical or anesthesia team in case they want something different for you.